Reindeer are not Christmas decorations: Our campaign ads hit Ascot!

Our campaign

Each year, Animal Aid works alongside animal protection groups Born Free Foundation, Freedom For Animals and OneKind to end the exploitation of reindeer and other animals at Christmastime.

The research is very clear; reindeer suffer in captivity. They should be roaming for miles through the snowy Arctic tundra, snacking on moss and lichen and living in herds. Instead, to satisfy a ‘magical moment’ for humans at Christmastime, so many reindeer are held captive in the UK all year and exposed to the incredibly stressful environments of festive events.

Poor body weight, muscle wastage and general malaise are common in captive reindeer. Additionally, the stress of transportation, loading and unloading and pulling of Santa’s sleigh can lead to physical and mental fatigue. Furthermore, because reindeer are prey animals, they hide their suffering, but are likely to experience fear due to the stressors of events. Heartbreakingly, reindeer may also develop learned helplessness – a psychological condition linked to depression in humans – due to the lack of agency afforded to them, and the repeated exposure to negative experiences.

Our children’s book

The ads feature a very special character from our newly released children’s book, Rollo’s Long Way Home. Just like the ads, our new book encourages empathy towards reindeer, and asks people to not attend events using live animals. All reindeer should be free to live peacefully in the wild!

Lapland UK and other locations

Our digivan has been circulating around Ascot and the surrounding area, parking up in busy locations and stopping by Lapland UK to encourage people attending this year to re-think ahead of next year. Lapland UK is still using reindeer and huskies in their event, despite widespread outrage from the public and tens of thousands of signatures on two different petitions. Lapland has a golden opportunity to be a leading force for good by going animal-free and showcasing how magical Christmas experiences can be without putting any animals in harm’s way. We await to see what decision they make next year.